Manipulator and Strategist
by Merit Somnia
Summary: At a peace convention, Quatre is standing alone when Dorothy approaches him. No pairings. One shot. [completed]


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**Manipulator and Strategist**

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"Quatre Raberba Winner." It was a statement not a question. 

"Dorothy Catalonia." Quatre didn't turn, just remained standing, staring out of the floor to ceiling glass window. Which outside events captured his attention.

He could feel Dorothy behind him, her presence a constant. Hear her long hair slide forward as she bowed her head.

Dorothy then walked beside him. Heels making little sound on the marble floor. She stood beside him and waited, and stared.

"Well, Dorothy. It is certainly a surprise to see you here." Quatre spoke quietly and calmly. Showing no hint of the surprise that had been in his voice.

"At a peace convention? Or just here at all?" Dorothy smirked as she said this and turned to face Quatre.

Quatre turned quicker and the two former warriors met each other in their eyes.

Hers were blazing with passion, hair swirling and settling as it sought to catch up with her body creating a pale background for their intensity.

His were a reserve for all his enthusiasm, showing his emotions but not all were shown in his aqua eyes, just what he wanted.

"Quatre, what are you hiding from?"

He blinked, disfusing the former tension. Realization came to his eyes as his brain processed Dorothy's question.

"A bit of both. I would have never have thought that you, Dorothy, would be at a peace convention. Why are you here Dorothy? I would not have thought that this sort of occasion would have appealed to you." He ignored her last question and answered the first.

Dorothy smirked again. "Miss Relena invited me. I simply could not refuse Miss Relena. Quatre. I have a feeling that I shall be attending many a convention in the near future. But _Mr. Winner_, why are you here? What business does the head of WEI have here in Naples? Surely you have more pressing concerns back on L4? I would have thought, _many _things."

He stared at her for a time, before dismissing her with one quick glance. "I too was invited Dorothy." To Quatre, the conversation was over.

"I see. Well, isn't that exciting?"

"Yes?"

"Yes indeed. We are alike you know Quatre. Not only in our colouring _but also in our minds!" _Dorothy ended this was a wide sweep of her arm, eyes lighting up as they caught onto Quatre.

"Dorothy. You are clearly out of your mind. I am not like you at all." There was no refusal in his voice. No future thoughts about the subject at all. And through his comment might have been harsh it was if little thought had been put into it.

Quatre's tone was flat; he was getting angry, Dorothy noticed happily. "No? You think that we are not alike in our minds? How strange of you."

"I believe that was what I had said. Quite clearly too."

"You may think so, but I have my reservations. You see Quatre, while our beliefs may differ on some points," Dorothy paused as Quatre laughed. Narrowing her eyes she continued, "We both ended up in the same point."

Dorothy shot a quick glance at Quatre. His face remained genteel and calm, but dangerous, like the eye of the storm.

"Fighting. We both ended up fighting for what we believed." She held out an arm, an open hand closing in semblance of holding a sword. "We fenced." Dorothy brought the imaginary sword to Quatre's neck. He flinched. "I won the battle, but you Quatre, you won the war!"

Quatre was breathing harshly but after a few quick hurried breaths he had control of his breathing. Opening his eyes he stared out of the window.

Dorothy grinned with triumph. "Yes Quatre. We are more alike than it may seem and however you might protest against the fact we are _very_ similar. When war was a fact not chance both of us entered the fray and fought for what we believed. You were a Gundam pilot, fighting for the colonies, even when they had betrayed you. I was for Romefeller and White Fang through I was not given true value of my abilities at both fortes. We fought. We battled. We did all this, against each other."

Quatre's lips were in a firm, thin line. His cheeks were beginning to flush. Eyes were focusing on some distant point.

"Oh Quatre, but we are allies now. We are now, more than ever alike."  
  
"Dorothy. I'm the exact opposite of you. No matter what similarities we might have, and they are few, what we fought for was totally different. I don't know what reasons you think I was fighting for, but I was fighting for peace. You were fighting for war!"

"_Si vis pacem para bellum_?"

"What?"

"I'm a warmonger am I? Well I can't deny that, can I? Not when it has a grain of truth with in." Turning her head away she frowned, "Quatre. I respect you, I admire you, what you stand for compels me forward, to stand for peace, with Miss Relena. Why can't I be like you? Why can't you accept it?"

"Dorothy?"

"Quatre, do you see nothing in me that reminds you of yourself?" Dorothy's eyes were unwavering in their force of emotions.

Quatre closed his eyes in an attempt to stifle the flow of thought and energy flowing outwards of Dorothy and to him. Hope, desperation, fury, depression burst out of Dorothy and Quatre channeled them to himself.

"Dorothy, while we are two completely different I see that you are a strong woman. You stand up for what you believe in and you do something about it. You don't just laze about, you act! I don't always agree with you, but I respect your ability to believe."

Dorothy looked down and at once her emotions were not flooding into Quatre's mind. She took a deep shuddering breath, "I see. Thank you Quatre." She looked up and grinned at Quatre wickedly.

"Dorothy?" Quatre asked warily.

"Quatre Raberba Winner." She said slowly, keeping her gaze on him, like a predator. Quatre squashed the thought to the run. "You really are quite the manipulator."

Quatre laughed easily and with some relief, "Oh Dorothy, I prefer strategist."

"Why am I not surprised?" She arched an eyebrow at Quatre.

"Because you too, are quite the manip– strategist Dorothy. One that I enjoy battling with. As long as we aren't in battle of course."

"Of course," Dorothy murmured, eyes twinkling.

"You mentioned Miss Relena. I do hope that she is well. I know that current event haven't been the best."

"No they have not. But with you in the midst of it, I knew that all would be well," at Quatre's mouth opening to speak, Dorothy rushed on, "Relena is fine and healthy. Through lately she has been tired."

"I understand. She must be under some pressure. Please send my regards to her."

"Thank you, I'm sure she will appreciate it. Quatre?"

"Yes Dorothy?"

"You seem to be tired too. Those shadows under your eyes aren't exactly a symbol of health, at least to my knowledge."

"Well running WEI is very tiring. These conferences are much more relaxing than the hectic life of a CEO."

"Relaxing? I would say boring. But each to their own. How is WEI? Their stock is up 5.3%. Quite impressive after the last two wars and the damage that was inflicted to it."

"WEI, after the death of my Father," Quatre paused for the slightest second, "Was in the capable hands of my sisters, until I returned. They did a remarkable job of keeping WEI up and running. Many of my sisters still hold positions at WEI. I will support them. They deserve a role in WEI, because of their devotion."

"I can see you do that Quatre. You are a crusader of human rights. You will be powerful."

Quatre smiled wearily, "I seem, sometimes, to have too much control and power. With every day, it increases. When I feel more tightened by my role as CEO, all this power does not help."

"Just think it as piloting your Gundam."  
  
"How so?"

"A Gundam is amazingly powerful and yet you could control what you were doing. You were it's pilot. As long as you are strong enough to resist, then you can control what happens."

"Yes, I suppose I can see it that way. So Dorothy, how are you?"

"I am just recovering from a slight cold. But I believe that other than that, I'm perfectly healthy. Other than the random sniffle." 

"That's not what I meant Dorothy!" Quatre said with exasperation.

"Then say what you mean Quatre! I deal enough with politicians, I don't want you to revert to one forever." Dorothy shook her head at him.

"How is life? Dating anyone? Death Threats? Anything?" Quatre waved his arms wide, palms open.

"Life is fine. No I'm not seeing any one. Not enough time you see. I have received some death threats, but not any thing I can't deal with. Quatre? I think that this is your not so subtle way of seeing that the pressure of conversation is off you." Quatre flushed, "I believe I am correct."

Quatre looked down and then admitted, "Yes. I don't feel like talking about myself, everyone is always asking about me and WEI but I just want to, want to," he adverted his face from Dorothy's probing stare, "I just want to talk."

"I see." Dorothy nodded as she said this.

"Yes, I suppose you might."

"Well, yes..." Dorothy stopped talking mid sentence and glanced away from the window and Quatre, a hesitant expression flashed her face before her face resumed normality, for Dorothy at least. "I have to leave. Miss Relena seems to be in need of me and that is why I am here, to serve Miss Relena. It would not be right to go back on the reason for my invitation to the peace conference. Goodbye Quatre."

He gazed at her levelly for a moment then nodded gravely; "No it would not be right for you to go remiss on your duties. Goodbye Dorothy."

With one last nod Dorothy spun around, pale hair whirling about her body. She walked quickly until she was lost in the crowd.

As her body turned her eyes lit up with thrill and pleasure, "What an interesting person he is. So very intriguing."

Her eyes sparkled with not just a touch of malice and glee.

Quatre turned around until he was once again facing the window. Watching what was going on below. Unseen by no one, a smirk appeared on Quatre's face. His politeness worn off.

Muttering quietly, under his breath, "Well, wasn't that interesting."

And the smirk turned into a full fledged mischievous grin.

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_AN: There are no pairings just conversation. I have always thought that Quatre has a darker side to him, so this fic was born. Quatre is a strategist after all and Dororthy a manipulator. That's the way I see it. At least in this fic. I found their conversation amusing. Both of them were toying with each other._

_ If you liked this, check out my other fics. __Feedback is welcome. Any queries just ask. _

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**Si vis pacem para bellum**_ is latin and means _'If you want peace, prepare for war'_ it is one of my all time favourite quotes and I felt it was suited well within GW and this fic._

_Disclaimer: Standard._


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